The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn

Book Review

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn

Book Review

Summary of the book

Seikei is a son of a tea merchant and wants to be one of the most honorable warriors in Japan, a samurai. He and his father are on their way to Edo, the shogun’s city. On their way there, Seikei and his father stop at an inn to rest for the night. During the middle of the night, Seikei thinks he sees a jikininki or an eater of human flesh. Seikei tries to follow it but it soon disappears. When they wake up, the innkeeper informs them a priceless gem on its way to Edo for the shogun vanishes. Only Seikei’s eyes saw the thief who he thought was a ghost, therefore he is the only one who can solve the mystery with the help of judge Ooka, an honorable judge who works under the shogun. Seikei soon finds himself face to face with the thief, Tomomi, a kabuki actor who likes to play a woman. Not long after that, Seikei figures out Tomomi is a samurai and Seikei starts to learn how to wield a sword. Seikei now knows that Tomomi is the thief because he well, told him and offered the gem, a priceless ruby to the sun goddesses at an alter… or did he? Why does Tomomi steal the ruby just to offer it to get blessing? Why did a noble samurai work as kabuki actor? Why does Tomomi keep Seikei around after he shown him the ruby when he knows Seikei is working with judge Ooka to bust him? All these answers and more in the Ghost in the Tokaido Inn!